Each family has different holiday traditions, throughout the years those traditions may be altered or change entirely due to marriage, babies, location.

There are many different traditions that I enjoyed as a child and I plan on continuing as an adult with my family.

My Christmas Holiday starts on Thanksgiving weekend.  We always put up the Christmas tree, decorate the house and start the baking!

December 1st, we start the official countdown.  We keep an advent calendar to countdown the days till Christmas.  Thanks to my sister, we have a magnetic one for the fridge to make it reusable.  We will also do the green and red rings to pull off each day.

December 6th, we celebrate the feast of St. Nick, by putting our shoe out of our bedroom and get goodies in it.

December 13th, we celebrate Santa Lucia, by having the female(s) in the house bake breakfast and serve it usually with coffee.

December 24th is the feast of the seven fishes.  The evening starts with an early mass and then a celebration with my family in the evening.  Thanks to my brother we hit the 7 fishes each year and it is something I look forward to each year.  In the past we would open up the family presents on this evening, but as the family has grown and “Santa” is on a budget (lol) we only open one present, usually PJs. 

December 25 was a more low-key day.  My family would open presents and have a breakfast.  Once all the presents were open and stockings we rest or play with our toys.  The evening was saved for visiting with family or friends.

Throughout the month of December there are other traditions that we do.  We drive around the neighborhoods and look at the lights, go to the Washington Mormon Temple to see the lights, baking cookies (cookie exchange), go Christmas shopping, (newest one) go see Santa, watch tons of Christmas movies and read tons of Christmas books. 

I know in the future we will be adding more books, crafts, and other activities to the list as our children get older.

Right now, we are in the process of altering our traditions for a couple reasons.  One is that my son was born on Christmas Eve.  Two is that my family (my hubby, myself, my son) want to start our own Christmas day traditions.

What are some of your Christmas Traditions that you have with your family?

Ashley Myers